International domains are regulated and controlled by their individual bodies, but there are three general requirements for a domain to transfer correctly:

1. The current domain contact details are up to date.

Some international domains such as the .com will send a verification email to both the registrant and the admin contact to request approval of the transfer.

If you need to update contact details be aware that updating a registrant contact will lock the domain for 60 days with some registrars and this cannot be unlocked until the 60 day expires.

2. You need the transfer key.

Also known as the EPP key, authorisation code(auth code), domain secret, domain password.

This key will never expire, and will only ever change when you move to different registrars.

3. The domain status must be unlocked and ok for transfer.

You can verify if a domain is unlocked using a WHOIS tool. Next to “Domain Status:” you want it to state “Domain Status: OK” Anything other than, you need to contact the original registrar and ask them to unlock the domain.

Transferring your Domain:

1. In your Openhost account, go to the ‘Domains’ section on the navigation bar on the left of your screen.

2. Click on ‘Add New Domain’ then select ‘Transfer Your Domain’

3. Under ‘Specify Domain’ put your domain in the search field and select ‘Check’

4. This may present you with a cost to transfer the domain, which is common for some international domains. Further below it will ask to ‘Specify Transfer Authorisation Key’ this is where you put in the transfer code as seen below:

5. Click submit at the bottom; then you will be presented to confirm your purchase and select your payment option, then click ‘Purchase’ This will then begin the transfer process.

6. From this point, both the new and old registrant will be sent emails to verify the transfer.

FAQ:

How long does it take for my domain to transfer?Transfers may take up to 7 days to transfer. A .com domain, for example, will go through a fraud checks process from its regulator ICANN.

From what point does the transfer timeframe begin?Transfers begin, as soon as the authorisation email is approved by the domain registrant contact. In some cases, both new and old registrant will both have to accept a link in their email each.

I changed my contact information, and my domain is locked, how do I get around this?You can’t, this will be set by the regulator themselves (such as ICANN) and once in place cannot be removed. However, we will endeavour to help you with any DNS changes so the site can still point to the right location if the nameservers are with us.

I just purchased my domain, when can I transfer it away?Domains cannot be transferred within the first 60 days of registration.

Do I need a .com or international domain? Majority of people get a .com domain because it’s what they know. With .com being an American domain, it is widely recognised especially when visiting overseas websites. The problem with those domains is they require a bit more understanding as they have much higher regulations to deal with around the domain control. If you’re a New Zealand company where your market has a majority for in New Zealand, it is recommended to get a .co.nz domain.